In early October, the reach on my LinkedIn content was lower than usual.
I had been following the same process, still.
So, one weekend, I decided to quit LinkedIn for a week.
I thought I would step back, learn a lot about the platform, not post, and only engage.
Might help me gather perspective on what needs to change.
But I had a content idea on Saturday, that I so wanted to post.
So without worrying about the numbers, I posted that content.
The content piece did slightly better than last few posts, but was still dismal.
That’s not the point.
The point is what happened after I posted it.
I got a lead (who also converted) for a retainer gig, and also for a book ghostwriting gig.
Only because I chose to show up even when I didn’t feel like, and my mind had succumbed to vanity metrics like numbers.
The biggest lesson I learnt from this was:
It is easy to quit when things are not working your way.
But if you quit, things will certainly not work your way – not something you want to sign up for.
So, don’t quit!!
…
However, the above is an advice that is floating more frequently in the air than oxygen.
Don’t quit.
Winners persist.
On the other side of this hard thing is victory.
Except, it’s not true every time.
As a matter of fact, sometimes it is wise to quit.
Few months back, I was in a job that was lovely to the rest of the world.
Even the entire team.
Perhaps even me.
Anyone, anyone would have loved to be in the place I was at.
However, I was not at the max joy with myself at the place I was at.
The work was good, but it was not I would have loved to do my entire life.
You know that tingy “feeling” which tells you “Tu Koi Aur Hai” like Ved did in Tamasha?
Everything is working out except something…
Yes, exactly that feeling.
I have always wanted to write (which I do now).
I wanted to “do” things instead of “getting things done”.
I wanted to focus more on the art than on the operations and team.
Nothing wrong with what I was doing.
Just not aligned with who I was.
So I moved on from the job.
It was not an easy decision.
For months I tried to “persist and never give up”.
But the harder I tried, the farther I went from my truest joy.
The only way, thus, left out was to quit.
And do what makes me come alive.
To this day, there has not been a day I have regretted “quitting”.
Yes, there have been challenges.
Which work doesn’t have them?
Yes, I had to discover myself again.
And, it was way better than being lost into not knowing myself at all.
Yes, I doubted my decision for a month or so.
And, as they say, you know it when you know it.
It turns out, when the other side of relentless persistence is a victory that will make you feel hollow (no matter how many people are applauding for it), quitting is the right way.
Because we have been conditioned into thinking if quitting is wrong, mostly you will doubt your decision.
But in moments when there is no fear and you are by yourself, if you ask yourself, you will always always know when to quit.
…
It is wrong that winners don’t quit.
Winners quit all of the time.
Just that they stay at the things that resonate with who they are, no matter what the world says, no matter how difficult it is, or no matter how much effort it requires, is the reason why winners win.
Winners win their game because winners quit every other game.
Period.
